Epic Fail Illinois - South Carolina is a better job

BSpringsteen

BSpringsteen

Well-Known Member
Frank Martin goes to South Carolina in what can only be considered a lateral move.

Meanwhile, Illinois has been turned down PUBLICLY twice.

Tell me again Jon, how great the Illinois job is?
 
BSpringsteen said:
Frank Martin goes to South Carolina in what can only be considered a lateral move.

Meanwhile, Illinois has been turned down PUBLICLY twice.

Tell me again Jon, how great the Illinois job is?
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But but but, if the new Illinois coach can lock down teh Chicago area they will be unstoppable!!

This personally makes me very happy as I love to watch the Illini fans meltdown.

Maybe they should hire Deon Thomas. Im sure he knows of a couple ways to get kids from Chicago to come downstate to Champaign.
 
If Groce ends up getting that job, prepare for a meltdown of epic proportions. Lots of their fans want Theus, but it doesn't sound like that is going to happen.
 
burky247 said:
If Groce ends up getting that job, prepare for a meltdown of epic proportions. Lots of their fans want Theus, but it doesn't sound like that is going to happen.
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Groce would be a very good hire IMO. He has done a really good job at Ohio even without this years tourney run.
 
It is all in the perception for a rabid fanbase.
Groce might turn out to be a great hire if he gets the gig,but initially just not sexy enough for the Illini fans.

I remember some Iowa fans being wowed by Lick's COY credentials.
And some Iowa fans being unimpressed with Fran's Siena/UNC-Charlotte/Lehigh background.

Just never know...hiring mid-major bb coaches at Big Ten schools is a total crapshoot,with a 50/50 shot at success/failure. I am so glad that Iowa is out of the bb coach hiring business for the forseeable future. The process is so full of uncertainty and angst...not fun.
 
azhawkphan said:
Groce would be a very good hire IMO. He has done a really good job at Ohio even without this years tourney run.
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Oh I agree with you. But it's definitely not the flashy hire their fans want. Of course, the same thing could be said about McCaffery.

Regardless, whenever a power conference school hires a mid major coach that didn't completely dominate that level, people are going to get nervous about the hire.
 
Sure Groce may be a terrific hire but it is still funny Illinois has been passed up by 2 big name coaches.
 
JonDMiller said:
I was wrong, vastly overrated the ILL job.
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I disagree. True you over rated the job, but it is a lot better than Iowa. Each of the Illini's last four coaches have had a better conference winning percentage than Tom Davis.

While it is not as good of a job as you thought, it is a heckuva lot better job than most Iowa fans are giving it credit for.
 
There may be an underbelly that is scaring coaches away from Illinois. We've all heard things but coaches know.
 
JonDMiller said:
I was wrong, vastly overrated the ILL job.
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I don't think you have...why go to Illinois when there is a much better opportunity to get to the NCAA with an average team in the SEC?

They had some bubble teams this year, but could be a lot easier to move up and get to the NCAA in the SEC rather than in the BIG.

A few years ago there was talk that the SEC only deserved two bids at the most, especially when Kentucky was not that good under Tubby.
It really isn't that far from being the Pac 12, until Calapari came rolling in. Florida wasn't so good after their titles and Tennessee was just beginning to get into trouble with NCAA.

Far easier path to the NCAA and really only one team that has any sustained success over time.
 
Guys...just wanted to let you all know that Illinois has found their new basketball coach...and he's a "perfect fit"...and there's no doubt he will lock down Chicago with his name alone...

Coach Mike (Dick Butkus) Katowinski...
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOG7JzaQFHs]Hang Time Season 5 Intro - YouTube[/ame]
 
It's horrid if you're an Illini fan getting turned down twice. With Shaka and the guy from Butler turning them down, sux for them. That being said, they went after 2 of the more saught-after coaches in college basketball. Hard to blame them for that, however you risk what happened. You get turned down twice.

I think it's safe to say the next coach they offer will take it. They will make sure of that. They threw the best contracts in the country at these guys (according to what I heard-seven to eight years with top salaries and guaranteed upgrades to their practice facilities).

They won't be shooting towards towards the stars, they will be going for that dude from Ohio. Sounds like he'll be next for them.
 
Early today there were reports of a 3 PM news conference to introduce the Illini's new bb coach. Then an hour later the Illini official twitter indicated there will be no new conference today. Chaos in the Illini admin. offices? What nu? Keystone Kops candidate AD Mike Thomas continues to baffle the Illini faithful....all good fun for the rest of the league to watch.

They have already labeled AD Mike Thomas as ''MAC the Knife'' for his MAC fb and bb hires,with rumors he is looking to hire the Toledo womens bb coach to fill the third vacancy he created by firing Jolette Law,the Illini womens bb coach.
Maybe Thomas cut expenses by traveling no further than Ohio for his coaching searches?
 
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